The basics of prepping are simple. Food, water, shelter, security, sanitation, and first aid, but it shouldn’t stop there. Taking prepping to the next level means going beyond the basics and becoming more proficient in each or all the areas of preparedness.

I’m not trying to disparage anyone who only prepares on a

small scale, because everything helps. But to me, preparing for natural

disaster or personal doomsdays is not “prepping”, to me it’s just common sense.

 Preppers don’t stop when the pantry is

full, because that’s just the beginning.

Prepping is a never-ending process and a lifestyle choice. We

see the larger problems in the world and choose to plan for the worst-case

scenarios. This doesn’t mean we need a years’ worth of food storage, 10,000

rounds of ammo, and a combat ready prepper group to be considered a prepper,

but we should be constantly working on furthering our preparedness knowledge.

SPP274 Taking

Prepping to the Next Level

This week Lisa and I talked about some ways to expand on

your preparedness education, and some best practices. Everyone is different, so

this isn’t a “must do” list, but more a list of ideas for becoming better

prepared.

Taking Classes: Because everything in our lives involve preparedness to one extent or another, there is seemingly no end to the classes and workshops we can attend. 

These classes could be college level classes, vocational classes, online courses and even get together’s and workshops. 

Preparedness Related Conferences: Some of the conferences and expos out there are just a place to look at new toys, but some can be beneficial. I would personally rather walk away having learned something than walk away with my wallet a little lighter. 

Meetups: We can learn quite a bit online these days, but nothing beats face to face interaction. Getting together with others who share the same mindset allows you to share ideas and try new things.

Online Content: It’s easier than ever these days to learn just about anything online. Back in the day it was books and encyclopedias, today we don’t even need to leave the couch. 

Practicing Skills: Learning new skills is one thing, but practicing those skills and becoming proficient in them is another. In any sort of disaster your skills will be put to the test, so practice now while mistakes have little or no consequences.

Build Your Survival Library: There is so much involved in preparedness that it’s impossible to remember everything. A preparedness library allows you to research the subject you may have forgotten about.

The Underappreciated: Make sure you are giving the underappreciated areas of preparedness the time they deserve. Subjects like communications, intelligence gathering and hygiene take a back seat to bugging out and food storage.

Be Open to New Information: Sometimes we can be a little over confident in out grasp of a subject, and sometimes we can be wrong. Be willing to admit that you might not know everything, because a SHTF event doesn’t care about your ego.